Enheduanna — World’s First Named Writer — Her Works and Life as a Priestess

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ENHEDUANNA — WORLD’S FIRST NAMED FEMALE WRITER

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Enheduanna (circa 2354 B.C.) was the first writer whose name was recorded and the first female author. She was the daughter of King Sargon, the great leader of Akkad and the destroyer of Sumeria. He lived from about 2334 B.C. to 2279 B.C. Enheduanna's name means “ornament of heaven” Her birth name is unknown.

Yale University Assyriologist Benjamin Foster, said “She’s the only author in the entirety of Sumerian literature whose name we actually know, and the only author in the entire 2,500-year span of Mesopotamian history of whom we have a contemporary illustration. By first author, we mean that she is the first author whom we know by name whom we can connect with an existing text. For much of Mesopotamian literature, we do not know who wrote it, but she is the exception."

According to Live Science: By about 2300 B.C., Sargon united the majority of Mesopotamia under his rule when the Akkadian culture of northern Mesopotamia conquered the Sumerians of southern Mesopotamia. This paved the way for the Akkadian Empire, the world's first empire, or collection of states under a single authority. Sargon appointed his daughter as the high priestess of the Sumerian moon god, Nanna, in the Sumerian city of Ur as part of his efforts to consolidate his new empire. When she assumed this role, she received the name Enheduanna, which means "high priestess, ornament of heaven" in Sumerian, Tamur said. As high priestess of the moon god and her father's representative in Ur, "she was clearly a very important figure in the city of Ur," Tamur said. "And on top of all of these responsibilities, she wrote poetry."[Source: Charles Q. Choi, Live Science, November 21, 2022]

The modern world first learned of Enheduanna from the remains of an alabaster disk unearthed in 1927 during British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley's excavations of Ur, Louise Pryke, an Assyriologist at The University of Sydney, wrote in The Conversation. The disk, which is normally kept at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia, depicts Enheduanna on the front and identifies her by name on the back, as she dedicates a dais to the Sumerian goddess Inanna, the daughter of Nanna, in her temple.

Life of Enheduana

According to Dr. Joan Westenholz ,Enheduana lived ca. 2300-2225 B.C. and the first artifact discovered informing us of her existence is a translucent alabaster disk which was discovered in pieces by Sir Leonard Woolley in 1925 in section C of the giparu, where she lived. [Source: Nancy Qualls Corbett, Anglefire]

According to Nancy Qualls Corbett: Enheduana was the daughter of Sargon the Great, who was the first king to rule an empire joining Sumer and Akkad. He began a tradition that was to last 500 years, whereby the king installed his daughter as en, or High Priestess, of Nanna , the Sumerian Moon God, in the ancient Sumerian city of Ur (Southern Iraq). [She is often mistakenly called a Sumerian princess because she lived in the sumerian city of Ur as a high priestess but her father, Sargon of Akkad, was Akkadian and so was she.] Her high rank and royal background may explain why she is the first to include her name in her most popular hymn,nin-me-sara. As princess of the most prolific king up to that time in history, and installed as en of Nanna, she was in a very powerful position and possessed the clout and the pride to include herself in her writings. As you will see especially in nin-me-sara in which, she wove her own personal story into a hymn to Inanna, leaving us with a record of some details of her life.

Enheduana was revered as the most important religious figure of her day. She lived the giparu was a joint building, containing the temple of Ningal, which is the lower section C on the floorplan, and the private, residential quarters of the en priestess- upper right section A. Directly below this section is section B which contains the cemetary where they buried the dead en-priestesses. There are records that show offerings were made to these dead ens, which shows how important they were. To the right of this cemetary is the dining area and below it is the kitchen area. For an excellent, detailed analysis of the giparu please read Penelope Weadock's article, listed in the bibliography.

Enheduanna — Moon Priestess

Enheduanna was also a priestess of the moon goddess and astronomer. In Enheduana’s name 'En' denotes the title of En priestess or High Priestess. 'Ornament of Heaven' is also an epithet often associated with Nanna, the Moon God, whom she served as well as his daughter , the Goddess, Inanna, whom she was devoted to. With reference to Nanna, the Mood God, the title 'heduana' is a poetic epithet denoting the beauty of the Moon in the sky. With reference to Inanna, 'heduAna' relates to Inanna's romantic partner status with the god of Heaven, An- she is his ornament. [Source: Nancy Qualls Corbett, Anglefire]

Enheduanna was appointed by her father King Sargon to be chief astronomer and priestess of the moon goddess of her city. Being a priestess of the moon goddess was a position of great power and prestige. Only through the auspices of the high priestess could a leader achieve a legitimate claim to rule. The priests and priestesses in ancient Mesopotamia established a network of observatories to monitor the movements of the stars. The calendar they created is still used to date certain religious events like Easter and Passover.

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None of Enheduanna's astronomical observations or technical writing exists today, but we do have translations of forty-two of her poems. A bas-relief of her is at the University Museum in Philadelphia. One of her poems highlights her accomplishments:
The true woman who possesses exceeding wisdom,
She consults a tablet of lapis lazuli
She gives advice to all lands...
She measures off the heavens,
She places the measuring-cords on the earth.

Michelle Hart: “ Many Near Eastern scholars believe that Enheduana’s hymns were politically motivated to support the imperialistic ambitions of her father, King Sargon, who’s unparalleled control of Sumer and Akkad had known no predecessor and that her installation by Sargon as en-priestess of Nanna at Ur was also a political strategy [Hallo & Van Dijk,1968, p.9.]. And there are scholars who question Enheduana’s authorship of these hymns, like Miguel Civil, stating that there is no solid evidence- and especially since most Sumerian literature was anonymous. Those who disagree with Adam Falkenstein who was the first to identify the title ’en-hedu-Ana’ in the poem nin-me-sarra as positive identification of Enheduanna herself [Falkenstein, 1954] state that the title ’en-hedu-Ana’ was a generic epithet for Inanna or for Dumuzi. Then there is Annette Zgoll’s [Zgoll, 1997] newest research in which she adds to the work of Hallo and Van Dijk and many others who acknowledge Enheduana as the author based on many historical references in the poem nin-me-sarra that refer to actual events which occurred during Naram Sin’s, reign and during Enheduana’s later years as en-priestess of Nanna. There are also stylistic reasons for grouping these hymns together as being written by the same person in addition to a few other “Inanna hymns”. [Source: Michelle Hart, Angelfire, January, 2001]

Kate Ravilious wrote in Archaeology Magazine: New analysis of her sacred songs demonstrates her central political role. “The rituals that Enheduanna performed were instrumental in creating the new power structure by reconciling the city-states and the wider realm,” says Zgoll. Her research has offered new interpretations of Enheduanna’s songs that are helping scholars understand how she became indispensable to Sargon’s heirs in their struggle to maintain power across Mesopotamia and as far away as the Mediterranean Sea. Enheduanna is now the focus of research aimed at understanding a historical figure who, while she lived, was critical to the Dynasty of Ishtar’s success—and was almost certainly the most powerful woman in the world. [Source: Kate Ravilious, Archaeology Magazine, November/December 2022]

Enheduana — the Shakespeare of Sumerian Literature?

Enheduana was revered as the most important religious figure of her day. Through her powerful incantations/songs to Inanna,the goddess of Love and War she changed the course of history and was remembered for centuries after her death. Her writing is so intricate, scholars call her the "Shakespeare of Sumerian literature." Her hymns function as multi-layered incantations, interweaving political, personal, ritual, theological, historical and legal dimensions.[Source: Nancy Qualls Corbett, Anglefire]

William Hallo first dubbed Enheduana as the Shakespeare of Sumerian literature after careful analysis of her brilliant and complex writing style in her most famous poem, nin-me-sara. Like the controversy surrounding Shakespeare as to whether he actually wrote all of the plays attributed to him, not all scholars credit Enheduana as the first named author in literature.

'En' denotes the title of En priestess or High Priestess. 'Ornament of Heaven' is also an epithet This title confused the Sumerologists when they identified it in Enheduana's poem nin-me-sara and they didn't realize it referred to her until 1958, when Adam Falkenstein analysed the context of the poem more deeply.

Not all scholars agreed with him, because none of the 100+ clay tablet copies of Enheduana's poems originate from her Old Akkadian time period (2300 B.C.), but rather to the Old Babylonian time period- 500 years later! This was a period when a lot of copying of older Sumerian literature took place. Based on this evidence, scholars like Miguel Civil believe there is a 40 percent probablity that Enheduana is the author of these poems. Other scholars, like Joan Westenholz, William Hallo, and Annette Zgoll feel they can prove that nin-me-sara and Enheduana's other poems date to her time period because of certain historical references she weaves into them.

Enheduanna Disk and Translating Her Work

A white alabaster disk measuring 25 centimeters (10 inches) across dating to 2350–2150 B.C. depicts a ceremony being led by Enheduanna, who wears a headdress and tiered gown. Her name appears on the back of disk, which resembles the moon. When the disk was unearthed, Assyriologistswere already familiar with the historical figure of Enheduanna as the author of Sumerian songs and hymns. [Source: Kate Ravilious, Archaeology Magazine, November/December 2022]

Kate Ravilious wrote in Archaeology Magazine: Uncovered in a temple in the ancient Sumerian city of Ur by archaeologist Leonard Woolley in 1927, the disk is decorated with a relief depicting four figures facing an altar. They appear to be participating in a sacred rite. One of the figures—a woman who wears a headdress and a layered gown—is larger than the others and seems to be in charge of the proceedings. An inscription identifies her as Enheduanna, priestess of the moon god Nanna, servant of the goddess Inanna, and daughter of Sargon, king of the world.

Translating Enheduanna’s work is no easy task. The Akkadian and Sumerian languages are difficult to sort out. Further complicating efforts at translation is the fact that Enheduanna used a highly complex form of Sumerian, employing words that are found only in her poems, intricate syntactical structures, and many abbreviations. Enheduanna’s style of writing is also highly poetic, rich in metaphors and full of stylistic devices, with a complex narrative structure and many hidden meanings. “It’s considered to be some of the most difficult text handed down in the literature of the Sumerian language,” says Zgoll.

Zgoll has made a significant breakthrough in understanding Enheduanna’s works by breaking the text down into its smallest meaningful units, known as “hylemes.” An example from “Ninmeshara” reading “Queen, greater than the hostile lands—who would dare take any of your territories away from you?” contains three hylemes. They allow three pieces of information to be inferred: “Inanna is queen,” “Inanna is more powerful than the hostile land,” and “no one can steal territories from Inanna.” Applying this technique to the whole text, Zgoll has gained insight not only into myths that Enheduanna incorporated in “Ninmeshara,” but also into the political events that motivated her to write the song and how it would have been interpreted by people at that time.

Enheduanna's Literary Works and Poetry

What has been found of her writings so far, include 6 literary compositions (the first three form a cycle of hymns to Inanna): 1) nin-me-sar-ra "Queen of countless divine powers" more commonly knows as "The Exaltation of Inanna"; 2) in-nin sa-gur-ra "Stout-hearted Lady"; 3) in-nin me-hus-a, "Inanna and Ebih"; 4) "e-u-nir": is a Collection of 42 Temple Hymns written for the temples of Sumer and Akkad (Enheduana wrote many of them and gathered others to make this collection); 5) e-u-gim e-a , "Hymn of Praise to Ekishnugal and Nanna on Assumption of en-ship"; 6) title broken, "Hymn of Praise of Enheduana". The last two have been published by Dr. Joan Westenholz in 1989. Dr. Westenholz suggests that these hymns were written by Enheduana about her High Priestess role. In addition, Dr. Zgoll and a few other Sumerologists have tied Enheduana's complex writing style to a few other Sumerian texts. [Source: Michelle Hart, Angelfire, January, 2001]

Enheduana is credited for having written and compiled what is known as The Sumerian Temple Hymns, consisting of 42 hymns to the temples of Sumer and Akkad as well as a hymnal cycle to the goddess Inanna: 1) in-nin-me-hus-a,(INM), The Myth of Inanna and Ebih, 2) in-nin-sa-gur-ra, (INS),Stout-Hearted Lady, and 3) nin-me-sar-ra,(NMS), Lady of all the Me’s, which is her most famous poem. In addition, Dr. Westenholz has also credited her as having written two hymns to the moon god, Nanna].

Charles Q. Choi wrote in Live Science: A few of Enheduanna's poems honor Nanna. However, the priestess was far more preoccupied with Inanna, whose home was the morning and evening star, Venus, according to Jungian analyst Betty De Shong Meador, author of an English translation of Enheduanna's poems, "Inanna, Lady of Largest Heart" (2001). In Enheduanna's poems, Inanna was equated with her Akkadian counterpart, Ishtar, the goddess of love and war, Tamur said. In the writings of the priestess, "Inanna is both fierce and cruel, loving and kind," capable of both destruction and generosity, Meador noted.[Source: Charles Q. Choi, Live Science, November 21, 2022]

Enheduanna's poems were rich with autobiographical details, such as her struggle against Lugalanne, most likely the king of Ur, who attempted to forcefully remove her from office. "Enheduanna is the first author we know of who incorporated autobiographical details into her narrative," Tamur said. "In addition, she is the first author who tells us something about how she created these poems. She likens the act of literary creation to childbirth, the first known use of this metaphor, which will remain in use for millennia in world literature."

Kate Ravilious wrote in Archaeology Magazine: The poetry of Enheduanna, which evokes powerful feelings and records her innermost thoughts, paralleled the revolution in the visual arts. Her work gives scholars a window into rarefied religious and political beliefs of the time, Enheduanna’s song praising Inanna also resonated with later generations of Mesopotamians, most of whom came to speak Akkadian as Sumerian died out, and who regarded the failed rebellion against Naram-Sin as a foundational historical event. The song also became a model of how to interact with the most powerful gods. “For the Akkadians, a ritual involving a song of praise was a crucial means of interaction with the mightiest entities in the universe, who were presumed to have the power to change the course of history,” says Zgoll. By invoking Inanna in the Akkadian Empire’s moment of peril, Enheduanna claimed her place in history not only as the world’s first author, but as a poet who helped ensure the survival of its earliest empire. [Source: Kate Ravilious, Archaeology Magazine, November/December 2022]

Ninmeshara

Ninmeshara is one of Enheduanna’s better-known works. The context of the song suggests that Enheduanna wrote “Ninmeshara” when the Akkadian Empire was on the brink of collapse. Civil war was raging, and Naram-Sin was in acute danger. Enheduanna herself had been forced to flee Ur and go into exile, probably in the city of Lagash to the north. According to the song, the moon god Nanna failed to aid her in her hour of need. Enheduanna turned instead to Inanna, who by then had been merged with Ishtar and become the patron deity of the empire. [Source: Kate Ravilious, Archaeology Magazine, November/December 2022]

Enheduanna uses an intimate tone to appeal to the goddess, suggesting that the poem was initially composed as a private and personal conversation between Inanna and the poet, who likely performed it in an empty room within the temple. “There may have been some musicians accompanying her on the lyre, but no human audience,” says Zgoll. Afterward Enheduanna may have sung the poem to an elite audience of the Sumerian priests she was meant to control and influence, but ordinary people would never have heard it. “Temple rituals were only intended for the gods and people who were initiated,” Zgoll says.

Enheduana’s Hymns

Enheduana’s hymnal cycle is a good place to observe the concepts of personal gods and goddesses. There is some display of personal religion in in-nin-me-husa (INM), “Inanna & Ebih” [Bottéro] in which Enheduanna reveals herself once in the poem by speaking anonymously in the first person :

“I, also, would like to celebrate
the good wishes of the queen of battle,
the eldest daughter of Sin” [INM, l. 23].

Inanna dominates the poem and speaks for herself for fifty per cent of the poem: l. 26-51, 64-111, 154-166, 168-181. In fact, she is the one to introduce the main argument of the poem- that Mt. Ebih has not shown her the proper respect and that she will teach it to fear her:

“Since it [Ebih] didn’t kiss the ground infront of me,
Nor did it sweep the dust before me with it’s beard,
I will lay my hand on this instigating country:
I will teach it to fear me!” [INM, l.29-35]

This hymn may be an allusion to a historical event commemorating one of Sargon’s triumphs over a northern region that refused to relinquish its independance [Bottéro, p.220]. It would have then served as both political and religious propaganda, promoting the unequivocal domination of Sargon’s empire and personal goddess, Inanna. Inanna is portrayed as an unrelenting, warring devastatrix, characteristic of third millenium ruler metaphors:

“I’ll bring war [to Ebih], I’ll instigate combat,
I’ll draw arrows from my quiver,
I’ll unleash the rocks from my sling in a long salute,
I’ll impale it [Ebih] with my sword” [INM l. 98-102]

The marriage of politics and religion is further underlined, when after she has successfully overtaken Ebih she installs a throne and a temple and sets up rituals unique to her cult:

“Also, I erected a temple,
Where I inaugurated important events:
I set up an unshakeable throne!
I gave out dagger and sword to..., Tambourine and drum to homosexuals, I changed men into women!” [INM, l.172-176]

For the complete article from which the material here is derived see The Concept Of Personal God(dess) In Enheduana's Hymns to Inanna at Anglefire, Internet Archives

Adoration of Inanna of Ur by Enheduanna (2320 B.C.)

Queen of all the ME, Radiant Light,
Life-giving Woman, beloved of An (and) Urash,
Hierodule of An, much bejeweled,
Who loves the life-giving tiara, fit for High Priestesshood,
Who grasps in (her) hand, the seven ME,
My Queen, you who are the Guardian of All the Great ME,
You have lifted the ME, have tied the ME to Your hands,
Have gathered the ME, pressed the ME to Your breast. [Source: Pritchard, James D. (1975): The Ancient Near East, Volume II, Princeton University Press]

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You have filled the land with venom, like a dragon.
Vegetation ceases, when You thunder like Ishkur,
You who bring down the Flood from the mountain,
Supreme One, who are the Inanna of Heaven (and) Earth,
Who rain flaming fire over the land,
Who have been given the me by An,
Queen Who Rides the Beasts,
Who at the holy command of An, utters the (divine) words,
Who can fathom Your great rites!

Destroyer of the Foreign Lands,
You have given wings to the storm,
Beloved of Enlil - You made it (the storm) blow over the land,
You carried out the instructions of An.

My Queen,
the foreign lands cower at Your cry,
In dread (and) fear of the South Wind, mankind
Brought You their anguished clamor,
Took before You their anguished outcry
Opened before You wailing and weeping,
Brought before You the "great" lamentations in the city streets.

In the van of battle, everything was struck down before You,
My Queen,
You are all devouring in Your power,
You kept on attacking like an attacking storm,
Kept on blowing (louder) than the howling storm,
Kept on thundering (louder) than Ishkur,
Kept on moaning (louder) than the evil winds,
Your feet grew not weary,
You caused wailing to be uttered on the "lyre of lament." My Queen,
[all] the Anunna, the great gods,
Fled before You like fluttering bats,
Could not stand before Your awesome face,
Could not approach Your awesome forehead. Who can soothe Your angry heart!
Your baleful heart is beyond soothing!
Queen, Happy of "Liver," Joyful of Heart,
(But) whose anger cannot be soothed, daughter of Sin,
Queen, Paramount in the Land,
Who has (ever) paid You (enough) homage!
The mountain who kept from paying homage to You -
vegetation became "tabu" for it,
You burnt down its great gates,
Its rivers ran with blood because of You,
its people had nothing to drink,
Its troops were led off willingly (into captivity) before You,
Its forces disbanded themselves willingly before You,
Its strong men paraded willingly before You,
The amusement places of its cities were filled with turbulence,
Its adult males were driven off as captives before You.

Against the city that said not "Yours is the land,'
That said not "It belongs to the father who begot you,"
You promised Your Holy Word, turned away from it,
Kept Your distance from its womb,
Its woman spoke not of love with her husband,
In the deep night she whispered not (tenderly) with him,
Revealed not to him the "Holiness" of Her heart.
Rampant Wild Cow, elder daughter of Sin,
Queen, greater than An,
who has (ever) paid You (enough) homage!
You who in accordance with the life giving me,
Great Queen of Queens,
Have become greater than Your mother who gave birth to you,
(as soon as) you came forth from the Holy Womb,
Knowing, Wise, Queen of All the Lands,
Who multiplies (all) living creatures (and) peoples —
I have uttered Your Holy song.
Life-Giving Goddess, fit for the ME,
whose acclamation is exalted,
Merciful, Live-Giving Woman, Radiant of Heart,
I have uttered it before You in accordance with the ME.

I have entered before You in my holy gipar,
I the En, Enheduanna,
Carrying the masab-basket, I uttered a joyous chant,
(But now) I no longer dwell in the goodly place You established.
Came the day, the sun scorched me
Came the shade (of night), the South Wind overwhelmed me,
My honey-sweet voice has become strident,
Whatever gave me pleasure has turned into dust. Oh Sin, King of Heaven, my (bitter) fate,
To An declare, An will deliver me,
Pray declare it to An, he will deliver me.

The kingship of heaven has been seized by the woman (Inanna),
At whose feet lies the flood-land.
That woman (Inanna) so exalted,
who has made me tremble together the city (Ur),
Stay Her, let Her heart be soothed by me.
I, Enheduanna will offer supplications to Her,
My tears, like sweet drinks.
Will I proffer to the Holy Inanna, I will greet Her in peace,
Let not Ashimbabbar (Sin) be troubled.

She (Inanna) has changed altogether the rites of Holy An,
Has seized the Eanna from An,
Feared not the great An,
That house (the Eanna) whose charm was irresistible,
whose allure was unending,
That house She has turned over to destruction,
Her . . . that She brought there has . . .
My Wild Cow (Inanna) assaults there its men, makes them captive.

I, what am I among the living creatures!
May An give over (to punishment)
the rebellious lands that hate your (Inanna's) Nanna,
May An split its cities asunder,
May Enlil curse it,
May not its tear-destined child be soothed by her mother,
Oh, Queen who established lamentations,
Your "boat of lamentations," has landed in an inimical land,
There will I die, while singing the holy song.
As for me, my Nanna watched not over me,
I have been attacked most cruelly.
Ashimbabbar has not spoken my verdict.
But what matter, whether he spoke it or not!
I, accustomed to triumph, have been driven forth from (my) house,
Was forced to flee like the cote like a swallow, my life is devoured,
Was made to walk among the mountain thorns,
The life-giving tiara of En-ship was taken from me,
Eunuchs were assigned to me -
"These are becoming to you," it was told me.

Dearest Queen, Beloved of An,
Let your Holy heart, the Noble, return to me,
Beloved wife of Ushumgalanna (Dumuzi),
Great Queen of the Horizon and the Zenith,
The Anunna have prostrated themselves before you.
Although at birth You were the younger sister,
How much greater You have become than the Anunna,
the Great Gods!
The Anunna kiss the ground before You.
It is not my verdict that has been completed,
it is a strange verdict that has been turned into my verdict,
The fruitful bed has been abolished,
(So that) I have not interpreted to man the commands of Ningal.
For me, the Radiant En of Nanna,
May your heart be soothed, You who are the Queen beloved of An.
"You are known, You are known" -
it is not of Nanna that I have recited it,
it is of You that I have recited it.

You are known by Your heaven-like height,
You are known by Your earth-like breadth,
You are known by Your destruction of rebel-lands,
You are known by Your massacring (their people),
You are known by Your devouring (their) dead like a dog,
You are known by Your fierce countenance.
You are known by the raising of Your fierce countenance,
You are known by Your flashing eyes.
You are known by Your contentiousness (and) disobedience,
You are known by Your many triumphs" —

It is not of Nanna that I have recited it,
it is of You that I have recited it.

My Queen, I have extolled You,
who alone are exalted,
Queen Beloved of An, I have erected your daises,
Have heaped up the coals, have conducted the rites,
Have set up the nuptial chamber for You,
may Your heart be soothed for me,
Enough, more than enough innovations,
Great Queen, have I made for You.
What I have recited to You in the deep night,
The gala-singer will repeat for You in midday.
It is because of Your captive spouse, your captive son,
That Your wrath is so great, Your heart so unappeased.
The foremost Queen, the prop of the assembly,
Accepted Her prayer.
The heart of Inanna was restored,
The day was favorable for Her,
She was clothed with beauty, was filled with joyous allure,
How she carried (her) beauty — like the rising moonlight!
Nanna who came forth in wonder true,
(and) her Ningal, proffered prayers to Her,
Greeted her at the doorsill (of the Temple).
To the hierodule whose command is noble,
The destroyer of foreign lands, presented by An with the me,
My Queen garbed in allure,

O Inanna, praise!

Temple Hymns by by Enheduanna

Temple Hymn 7, The Kesh Temple Of Ninhursag, The Lofty:
high-lying Kesh
in all heaven and earth you are the form-shaping place
spreading fear like a great poisonous snake
O Lady of the Mountains Ninhursag’s house
built on a terrifying site
O Kesh like holy Aratta
inside is a womb dark and deep
your outside towers over all
imposing one
great lion of the wildlands stalking the high plains
great mountain
incantations fixed you in place
inside the light is dim
even moonlight (Nanna’s light) does not enter
only Nintur Lady Birth
makes it beautiful
O house of Kesh
the brick of birthgiving
your temple tower adorned with a lapis lazuli crown
your princess
Princess of Silence
unfailing great Lady of Heaven
when she speaks heaven shakes
open-mouthed she roars
Aruru sister of Enlil
O house of Kesh
has built this house on your radiant site
and placed her seat upon your dais [Source: Translation by Betty De Shong Meador, American Translators Association Archives of ATA Journals, atanet.org,classicalarthistory.weebly.com]

Temple Hymn 15: The Gishbanda Temple Of Ningishzida:
ancient place
set deep in the mountain
artfully
dark shrine frightening and red place
safely placed in a field
no one can fathom your mighty hair-raising path
Gishbanda
the neck-stock the fine-eyed net
the foot-shackling netherworld knot
your restored high wall is massive
like a trap
your inside the place where the sun rises
yields widespread abundance
your prince the pure-handed
shita priest of Inanna heaven’s holy one
Lord Ningishzida
his thick and beautiful hair
falls down his back
O Gishbanda
has built this house on your radiant site
and placed his seat upon your dais

Temple Hymn 17: The Badtibira Temple Of Dumuzi: Emush:
O house
jeweled lapis herbs fleck the shining bed
heart-soothing place of the Lady of the Steppe
Emush brickwork glistening and pure
its burnished clay placed firmly (on the earth)
your sky-rising wall sprawls over the high plain
for the one who tends the ewes
and over the Arali House for the shepherd
your prince radiant one of the Holy Woman
a lion pacing the steppe back and forth
the wonder-causing pure breasted one
the Lord spouse of pure Inanna
Dumuzi master of the Emush
O Badtibira (fortress of the coppersmith)
has built this house on your radiant site
and placed his seat upon your dais

Temple Hymn 20: The Lagash Temple Of Ningirsu, Eninnu:
Eninnu
right arm of thick-necked Lagash in Sumer
with heavy-cloud bird Anzu’s eyes
that scan insurgent mountains
Ningirsu’s crowd-flattener blade a menace to all lands
battle arm blasting storm drenching everyone
battle arm all the great gods the Annuna
grant again and again
so from your skin of bricks
on the rim of the holy hill green as mountains
you determine fates
a holy whirlpool spins in your river
blowing whirlwinds spawn from your glance
at the gate facing the Holy City
they pour wine into fine stone vessels of An
out under the sky
what comes in cannot be equaled
what goes out never ceases
at the fiery face of the Shugalam gate
its radiant brilliance the fate-cutting site
Lord Ningirsu besieges with hair-raising fear
all the Annuna appear at your great wine festival
your prince furious storm-wind
destroyer of rebel cities
your king angry bull flaunting his brawn
savage lion that makes heads shake
warrior the lord of lords who plots schemes
king of kings who mounts victories
mighty one great hero in battle has no rival
son of Enlil lord Ningirsu
O Eninnu
has built this house on your radiant site
and established his seat upon your throne

Temple Hymn 22: The Sirara Temple Of Nanshe:
O house you wild cow
there to conjure signs from divination
you arise splendid to behold
bedecked for your princess
Sirara great and princely place
you dream-opener
highly prized in the shrine
your lady Nanshe
a great storm
strong dark water
born on the shore of the sea
laughing in the sea foam
playing playing in the waves
divine Nanshe mighty Lady
O house of Sirara
has built this house on your radiant site
and placed her seat upon your dais

Temple Hymn 26: The Zabalam Temple Of Inanna:
O house wrapped in beams of light
wearing shining stone jewels wakening great awe
sanctuary of pure Inanna
(where) divine powers the true me spread wide
Zabalam
shrine of the shining mountain
shrine that welcomes the morning light
she makes resound with desire
the Holy Woman grounds your hallowed chamber
with desire
your queen Inanna of the sheepfold
that singular woman
the unique one
who speaks hateful words to the wicked
who moves among the bright shining things
who goes against rebel lands
and at twilight makes the firmament beautiful
all on her own
great daughter of Suen
pure Inanna
O house of Zabalam
has built this house on your radiant site
and placed her seat upon your dais

Temple Hymn 42: The Eresh Temple of Nisaba, Ezagin:
this shining house of stars bright with lapis stones
has opened itself to all lands
a whole mix of people in the shrine every month
lift heads for you Eresh
all the primeval lords
soapwort the very young saba on your platform
great Nanibgal Nisaba Lady of Saba
brought powers down from heaven
added her measure to your powers
enlarged the shrine set it up for praising
faithful woman exceeding in wisdom
opens [her] mouth [to recite] over cooled lined
tablets
always consults lapis tablets
[and] gives strong council to all lands
true woman of the pure soapwort
born of the sharpened reed
who measures the heavens by cubits
strikes the coiled measuring rod on the earth
praise be to Nisaba
the person who bound this tablet together
is Enheduanna
my king something never before created
did not this one give birth to it

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Mesopotamia sourcebooks.fordham.edu , National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, especially Merle Severy, National Geographic, May 1991 and Marion Steinmann, Smithsonian, December 1988, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Discover magazine, Times of London, Natural History magazine, Archaeology magazine, The New Yorker, BBC, Encyclopædia Britannica, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Time, Newsweek, Wikipedia, Reuters, Associated Press, The Guardian, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, “World Religions” edited by Geoffrey Parrinder (Facts on File Publications, New York); “History of Warfare” by John Keegan (Vintage Books); “History of Art” by H.W. Janson Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.), Compton’s Encyclopedia and various books and other publications.

Last updated June 2024

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